Player, our Border Collie, was born with a malformed heart. There really was nothing that could be done for him except to not let him play too hard, and keep him from being over heated. His life expectancy was not supposed to exceed five years of age. Well, he surprised us all and his fifth birthday came and went, then his tenth, then his 11th....

In this, the 12th year of his life, he slowed down a lot. He wanted to sleep more and the heat was harder on hm. He coughed a lot and his appetite decreased. We knew he was reaching the end stages of his life. The last two weeks, his coughing increased until he would sometimes vomit frothy liquid, but he was still a typical bossy border collie. The vet put him on lasix to try and take down some of the edema that was causing his heart to work so hard.

The last two days, He would hardly eat at all unless I hand fed him. I had to force feed him fluids and take him outside to potty - I would have to hold him upright so he could do his business, or he would fall over because he was so weak. His doctor said he was in no pain, and that I could either keep him home until he passed, or have him euthed. I chose the former.

Last night, I put him in his crate with a few fluffy towels and sat beside him and waited. I petted him and talked to him. Sometimes, I sang to him.I am glad no one was here to watch, or they would have probably thought me insane. I spent the entire night sitting beside him so that he would know he was not alone. His breathing became slower, and shallower as the night passed on. This morning, at 07:45AM, Player breathed his last.

He has crossed the Rainbow Bridge now and there, he will be able to run and play has he was never able to do in life.

Player will be deeply, deeply missed.

~Tiger

Doja; TT, CGC, CD, CDX, UDGracie; TT, CGC, CD, CDX, UD, UDXOtis; CD, CDX Domino; CD, CDXCome visit http://NTBBC.com - "Changing One Mind At A Time"You are given but one life to live, use it wisely....

May he rest in peace, & play & run as he was never able to in his physical life. I believe he is. I am sorry for your loss, however he is free of his physical limitations & burdens.

Cyclops Mama

Pookie - 7 yr.old F-cat runs the home with an iron pawCyclops - Pitbull: My little boyHercules:1 1/2 yr. old rott; Daddys boySpider:1 1/2 yr old feline thinks he is a dog "What lies behind us & what lies before us are tinymatters compared to what lies within us."

Thank you all for your care and concern. I feel blessed that we had Player as long as we did, truly. He lived more than double the span of years that the doctors gave him and for that, I am thankful.

He was a good dog. Smart, obedient (when he wanted to be), bossy, liked to herd the cats - and the pit bulls (which none of them appreciated in the slightest) - and he was Bo's best friend. I am surprised that he did not pass shortly after Bo did last November because he grieved Bo's loss far more deeply than the other dogs did. My heart is at ease with Player's passing. It hurts, but it was not unexpected. I will miss him and his silly faces and his stubborn little self.

The most difficult part for me will be to get used to his not being around anymore. This morning when I let all of the dogs out to potty, I wandered around the house for a few seconds calling for him because for 12 years, he has been here. It took those few seconds for my brain to remember that no, he is not in the house, he will never be in the house again - he is now resting in a grave at the side of the house buried underneath the crape myrtle tree.

Incidentally, his grave is covered now with a carpet of pink crape myrtle blossoms so thick that you cannot see the disturbed ground. Logically I know that the wind blew the blossoms from the tree and that they stuck to his grave area because the ground is wet there, but my heart tells me that God shared those flowers with Player on purpose to make his resting place beautiful so that I won't cry too much today.

~Tiger

Doja; TT, CGC, CD, CDX, UDGracie; TT, CGC, CD, CDX, UD, UDXOtis; CD, CDX Domino; CD, CDXCome visit http://NTBBC.com - "Changing One Mind At A Time"You are given but one life to live, use it wisely....